Doctor the Chibisitter
by Blue Mistfall
Summary: The Eleventh Doctor wakes up in an unknown place full of little human beings. But the most puzzling is that those small people look and behave suspiciously like very particular people...
1. The Little People

There was a blue box standing in the corner of the large room which looked as if it had been taken from a giant doll house. Or from a hotel for Lilliputians: three-storied and two-storied beds next to the walls, writing desks, huge chests full of all kinds of items (from clothing to flying saucers which actually worked), plenty of chairs and pillows for sitting on them. Actually it could be a normal room, if everything in it - except for books on the large shelf in the farther end of the room and this very blue box - wasn't doll-sized.

And then something of a proper size appeared there. Or someone.

A shadow emerged in the middle of the room. At first it was nothing more than a cloud of sparkling mist, but then it gained shape and colour, as well as flesh, and finally it changed to become a dark-haired man in tweed jacket and pants with suspenders (who rolls the trouser sleeves like that anyway?) who was supine on the floor with his arms thrown to the sides, as if he were crucified.

For some moments it was quiet. Then a little voice spoke from somewhere behind one of the chests:

"Oooooh. First this box coming out of nowhere, and now its host!"

"Who told you that?" another voice replied.

"I feel it", the first voice noticed. "Is he dead?"

"Don't be stupid, Eight. If it was YOU who had raised from the dead, it doesn't mean anyone else should be able to do it".

"Very logical, One".

"Hey you two! I'll try to wake him up", much younger voice called from the corner.

* * *

The Doctor groaned and came back to consciousness. He didn't remember much was had happened. He had been making his way through the Horse Head Nebula to pay a visit to the planet Tincoless when all of a sudden his TARDIS had been captured by some kind of a force beam. It hadn't been like that time with the World of Show - or Badwolf Inc., or whatever, it had been more of a forced landing. Anyway, right now he was lying on some smooth surface, face up, and not really able to stand up. No, there were no handcuffs or ropes or anything, it was that he was feeling very heavy. Or very weak.

Unexpectedly something alive fussed next to his right side and began climbing onto his torso. The Doctor tried to shake it off, but it didn't give any result. The transportation always required a lot of energy, and it seemed that it had been taken even from his body, no words about the TARDIS... By the way, this place wasn't TARDIS. Or console room at least: the ceiling was very high, white and smooth. Boring ceiling.

The creature reached the Doctor's bowtie and stopped. The Doctor opened his eyes and looked down as far as he could - or maybe he had better not done it?

"Aaaaah!"

"Eeeeee!"

The little living thing tumbled onto the floor, but the Doctor managed to catch that it was a tiny human being, or much more like a very alive doll. One foot high (approximately, it couldn't be said for sure right now), with large brown eyes and a mop of dark hair, and... The Doctor could swear that he had seen red Scottish pattern. For a moment before the creature had fallen.

The Doctor, slightly panting, turned himself into a position on his side and finally saw the living doll in its - or his, for this was obviously a male one - full size. The small person was dressed into a white shirt with opened collar and - no, this hadn't been a hallucination - a red kilt, complete with sporran, and right now he was in a fighting position, ready to use his (probably world's smallest) dagger.

"Jamie?" the Doctor wondered. The small person's eyes occupied almost half of his face, and he lowered his weapon. "Is that you?"

"Meep", the "living doll" replied, nodding.

There was a rustle from behind the chests around, and now it was turn for the Doctor's eyes to widen - small heads began popping from every place which could keep a tiny little human being. In a moment another one got brave enough and approached to the Doctor. This time it was a tiny girl with reddish brown hair reaching the middle of her back and blue eyes, wearing some kind of a dress made of animal pelts, and also with a hunting knife.

"What a blast! If it isn't Leela!" the Doctor gasped, not knowing what he should do - widely smile or be surprised. Or both. Because it was only the beginning.


	2. The Little Doctors

"Whoa, there's a whole legion of you here!" the Doctor exclaimed upon the sight of little people coming out of everywhere. But that wasn't the fact that surprised him most. The main matter that made his eyes pop was that all of these tiny beings were familiar to him - both in appearance and behaviour. The Doctor suddenly felt like a school teacher among first-formers.

All the little people preferred to keep distance between them and their sudden guest (no wonder, the Doctor was times and times larger than every one of them), and even Jamie and Leela returned to the crowd when the Doctor, feeling better, attempted to stand up, but felt slightly dazed and remained in sitting position.

"Hey, little guys, I'm not going to hurt any of you", the Doctor smiled. "I'm just interested in what took place here. Have you been here for a long time?"

The little people discussed something for some seconds (it seemed as if they were unable to give any sounds except meeping and eeping out), and then the girl with short black hair and brown eyes, wearing a striped purple shirt, made two steps towards him. The Doctor felt something warm emerging inside when he recognized her.

"Susan! Oh man, is there every single one of you?"

Immediately, the tiny man with chin-length silver hair, carrying a crooked walking stick, hurried to Susan, standing in front of her protectively.

"Oh-ho-ho! Looks like they - whoever they are - managed to make tiny copies of all my versions", the Doctor assumed upon this sight.

The tiny First Doctor knitted his brows together:

"Meep?"

The Doctor held a snort of laughter in and went on:

"Yes. I'm the Eleventh one. Don't you have tiny this me here? I see Amy, and Rory... ooooh, and River!" No wonder, those three could be spotted in any kind of crowd. In a moment eight more little people pushed their way to the front, and the Doctor beamed even broader. "Yeah... Almost all together... Hey, wait. One of you... one of ME... is missing. Or he isn't here?"

One more little person showed himself out of the crowd - the one dressed in indigo business-styled pants and burgundy tee, with dark hair sticking up.

"There you are", the Doctor assumed, but the tiny Tenth Doctor shook his head, and less than in a moment something whizzed over the Doctor's head, having nearly hit him. It appeared to be a shoebox-sized copy of the TARDIS (while the real one calmly remained in the corner), twirling between floor and ceiling as if dangling from a string, just like a true one. And it seemed to be as mischievous as the true one... It was drawing curved spirals in the air, so the Doctor caught the moment and grabbed it with both hands, having caused a reaction - something (or someone) inside it hit the walls (no wonder if this tiny TARDIS was also bigger on the inside) with noise sounding like "whump-whomp-meeeeeeep!"

The Doctor opened the tiny TARDIS's doors, holding it in vertical position, and one more scruffy head showed itself from the inside, its brown eyes completely out of focus. One more tiny Tenth Doctor. But if so, one of them should be the Metacrisis one, the Doctor thought. Preferably the one on the floor... And he was right. The wee Doctors, as if hypnotized, raised their hands, each showing a different quantity of fingers.

"Ah! You mean I can call you by your numbers?" the Doctor guessed. "And what about you?" This was addressed to the tiny Metacrisis Doctor, who replied with gestures: showed ten fingers, pointed at his twin, then at himself and nodded. "Ten... You... Ten... too?" Eager nodding. "Tentoo? Okay. Now..." The Doctor carefully lowered the still-dizzy Ten onto the floor (the tiny blond girl - obviously Rose - immediately rushed to support him) and opened the mini TARDIS's doors. "Hmm... Looks like it has a console room, but nothing more. No good..."

This time the small girl dressed in red shirt and pink overalls walked over to him and tugged on his trouser sleeve, then lifted her little arms up, like a little child who wants to be picked up.

"Eep?"

"Sarah Jane! I just knew it!" the Doctor beamed and lowered his hand onto the floor. Despite the meeped warnings and small yelps, she climbed onto it and in some moments was sitting on the Doctor's shoulder. A bit later he was taken aback again, because as soon as tiny Sarah Jane began speaking into his ear, he heard not meeping and eeping, but a clear little voice which spoke fine human - or any other - language. Perhaps it depended on distance.

"You know so many things", she said. "I believe that you're the Doctor. The real and true one, but others doubt. Amy, Rory and River... and Craig too... say that you are truly Eleventh, but..."

"I understand. Tell me, for how long have you been here?"

"Forever".

"Forever?.."

"Or it seems so. I just woke up here and remembered nothing except who I am", Sarah Jane went on. "Together with all of them. And now you appeared here".

"Didn't you try to come out?" The Doctor nodded at the rectangular patch of the wall which was slightly darker than the rest - the only thing which looked like a door here. No windows and no lamps, but the room was full of pleasant soft light.

"Many times. But it didn't work".

The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver out, but - what's that? - it didn't work. It didn't even light up or buzz. It's time for some serious actions, he thought.

"I'm going to check something in my TARDIS", he informed. He had better not done it.

As soon as the real TARDIS doors were open, he was nearly knocked off his feet again by a wave of very determined little people.


	3. The Little Missions

"Hey, not so fast!" the Doctor only managed to cry out before all the "shorties" (their being all so small and round and funny and... all right, cute simply demanded being called with one word - chibi) rushed into the doors of the TARDIS. But that was the kind of action which only has a beginning. A spontaneous decision, nothing more, because the galore of little people stopped as soon as all of them entered, awed and attempting to accept all the vastness that lay behind the blue doors.

"Meeeeeep! Meep!" Ten exclaimed, his eyes as big as saucers - he was seemingly the most excited by the place he was in.

"He says that it's just like his TARDIS", Sarah Jane interpreted - she remained on the Doctor's shoulder. "But in different style".

The Doctor dashed to the console and realized that there was the same as with the sonic screwdriver. The console room was lighted, and the computer functions remained supported with energy, but the main function of transportation (which included both flight and dematerialisation) was completely block, as if the "all-time battery" was used up.

"Well, if you are little me, you should know the main basics of time machine functioning..." he began, addressing it to the little Doctors, and received nods and quiet meeps. "I mean fuel. Mercury, gold, Zeiton-7 and everything. Really, I've never thought that I'll have to check it!.. Will you help me? All of you?"

The chibis discussed something for some seconds, and most of them accepted the proposal. Except for...

"Ah, I just knew it!" the Doctor grinned, having noticed a little man dressed all in black with silver stripes on the edges and the ones gathered around him. "Still these two with their rubbish beards... and you, Tow-Top... and Mr. Blackface... and the cool man".

The five little Masters, as one, crossed their arms and sniffed, but the sixth one - judging by his look, the tiny copy of Professor Yana before he had CHANGED - made it clear that he was ready to help as he could.

"Okay, grumpy faces. We're going to make it clear without you", the Doctor assumed. "Let's begin... One, you check the amount of mercury left. Two, check the gold. Six, Zeiton-7 is yours. Ten and Tentoo, see if all the cells down there", he pointed at the space under the console, "are alive. We may need to recharge them. Four, Five, Nine, you three go to that corridor", he clarified the direction, "and check if all the rooms there are in the place. Three, you examine the dematerialisation circuit. Seven, Eight, you go to the room with the Eye of Harmony - it should be closed, no images showing out of it... And you lot", this was addressed to tiny Masters, "don't even think to create a mess, or I will get you. All of you".

The reply was collective humming from the "black group".

"Fine. Let's go on. Turlough... Where's Turlough?"

The little ginger-topped one in a school uniform emerged next to him, even with this height managing to look down upon the Doctor.

"Check the circuits under the panels on the walls. Nyssa, help him..."

In some minutes every single one from the lot got a task to accomplish, while the Doctor started checking the TARDIS's remained functions. The scanner was still on, as well as the "universal Internet" and the access to information, and the translation circuit worked pretty well (the matter why the Doctor couldn't understand Chibi from the distance must have been because of their voices' sonic wave length), but... Hold on a second. The information about the place the TARDIS was in now either didn't exist or was completely blocked.

"It seems like we gotta use the primitive methods", the Doctor muttered.


	4. The Doctor's Discovery

While the little people were accomplishing their tasks in the TARDIS (of course, the Doctor hadn't forgotten to warn her to keep an eye on five teeny tiny Masters who could create any kind of no good things), the Doctor was exploring the outside room. No doors expect the mentioned darkened rectangle, no windows, no holes of any kind. He even moved some of the full-size and tiny furniture around, but that didn't help much except for discovering some long-forgotten clothes under the small beds and a tiny bathroom in the corner - the Doctor could hardly push a hand through the door to it.

After walking for a while along the doors the Doctor finally noticed something. The dust wasn't lying smoothly on all the surfaces - it was collected next to one wall, as if blown by non-existent wind to there. Hmm, that's interesting. The Doctor pressed his hand to that wall, and in some seconds it became covered in a thin layer of dust. Something was pushing it there.

The Doctor decided to check one more guess of his. Actually he would have gladly perform this experiment by himself, but here there was nothing like a chair of a needed size for him, and searching for it in the TARDIS could have taken too long.

"Anybody here?" he called into the blue doors. "Anybody free? I need one of you for a minute!"

Guess who was the first to come? Captain Jack Harkness, who else! His big big blue eyes made him look like an innocent little creature, but the Doctor knew the potential of mischief in him.

"Come here". The Doctor brought one of the small beds approximately to the middle of the room. "Climb onto the top".

Jack shrugged, but obeyed.

"Now jump down here". The Doctor cupped his hands next to the bed. "Don't worry, you will be safe. Jump".

He didn't have to ask twice - in a mere second Jack landed onto his palms. But what was that? All his cheekiness and pride couldn't hide the fact that the jump affected him, and greatly, so that the chibi stayed in a sitting position in the Doctor's hands, rubbing his head.

"Did that hurt?" the Doctor asked. "I'm sorry". Jack meeped, showed a pinch with his fingers and, slightly wobbling, returned to the TARDIS.

Okay, the Doctor thought. Those gravity effects were active for just one kind of place.

"I think we're on a giant spaceship", he said aloud. "Now we know where we are. It's only left to discover WHEN and WHY we are here. In the name of Bowtie Nebula, I'd rather kill myself if we're going to be in the TV show again..."

His thoughts were interrupted by a shriek of horror from the TARDIS doors.


	5. The Doctor's Illusions

The Doctor dashed into the TARDIS and stopped on the bridge which led to the console not to squash any of the little people who could have got here. Luckily he didn't, because almost all galore of them was gathered in the farther end of the room. Having come there, the Doctor realized that there had been a reason and already some opinions about this: Donna (as ginger and as go-ahead as the original one) was giving five little Masters a bit of her mind, while they reacted differently. The Master with white stripes in his black hair and beard was standing as a stone statue, his arms crossed and chin lifted up; the one who looked like his younger version and the "cool" one with green snake-like eyes were slightly grinning, as if saying "are you dumb to accuse us?"; the black-faced one turned away, and the tow-topped one had a look of the man who was going to fry Donna alive. He only lacked small red horns and an arrow-like tail. The sixth Master (or no, Professor Yana) was completely and utterly perplexed.

Having concluded that the tiny Masters weren't the reason of the mess, the Doctor knelt besides the group of chibis and glanced into its middle, where there were the main "firestarters" - Jamie, Jo and Tegan, all three bunched and afraid to look up.

"What is it?" the Doctor asked in a half-voice, but this was enough to make all the rest of the little people turn their heads to him. And they were not amused.

Little Three - all velvet and frills and "candy floss" curls - went forward and frowned at the Doctor, expecting for the explanation.

"I don't even know what happened", the Doctor admitted. "There, Jack can approve that I was trying to realize where we really are and how to get out while you lot were here..."

Jack nodded, all sincerity (as far as it was possible for him). The Doctor looked at the "victims" closer - right now Peri was attempting to comfort Jamie, Five was whispering something to Tegan, and Benton (yes, small Benton and Yates were as well present, and this also worked for the Brigadier) was clumsily helping Jo to recover. But with what had it all begun? Jamie was the first to give a hint - as soon as he spotted the Doctor leaning closer to them, he fell onto his knees and clasped his hands in front of him, doubtlessly begging him about something so desperately that his eyes were ready to let two tear streams out.

"Hey, tiny Jamie", the Doctor started as calmly as he could, reaching out to him, but he squeaked and curled up in a little ball. "What's up? Don't worry. I told you I'm never going to hurt any of you in any possible way..."

Then he felt somebody climbing up his jacket, and in a moment a little voice spoke into his ear:

"Jamie begs you not to eat him".

"Thank you, Ace..." the Doctor managed to say. What's that? "Calm down, tiny Jamie, I'm not going to eat you! I may be a madman, but I'm not a cannibal!"

Two jumped and let out a "MEEP!" which sounded suspiciously like "WHAT?!" when Jamie pointed at him.

"He means that he saw Two who was as big as you and wanted to eat him", Ace explained. Then Jo and Tegan meeped and squeaked, clinging to their guardians.

"What the fish custard is going on here?! First me appearing here with no reasons, then the lack of energy, now this!.. What did they say?"

"Jo says that giant Three was trying to dissect her with a horrible device, and Tegan - that big Five wasn't watching where he was going and nearly squashed her!"

"Listen up, all of you. I was alone here before I got to you", the Doctor proclaimed. "No words about my other versions. Please believe me".

Four small critters walked forward and stared at him from the bottom. The Doctor couldn't help smiling - those were little Amy, Rory, River and Craig.

"And as about you three... Where did you see them?"

"I saw it too", Ace informed. "I was with Jamie in those corridors and saw it too. The huge Two grabbed him and wanted to gobble him up, but then he was gone after I threw a can of Nitro-9 into him".

"Perhaps the TARDIS considered your Nitro-9 of this size to be nothing more than fireworks if she let it work..." the Doctor mused. "If it hit me, there would be nothing more than a mosquito's sting, so why did that take place?.. But first..." He reached out and rubbed Jamie's head with his pinkie, having done the same with Jo and Tegan a bit later. "It wasn't me. Please believe me, it had never been so important".

Jamie, Jo and Tegan, all three sniffing their noses (poor little things, the Doctor didn't mean to make them cry, really he didn't...), slowly nodded and all together hugged the Doctor's hand as the sign of their agreement and trust.

"Right. I promise we will make it clear", the Doctor nodded. "Have you finished your checking as I asked you?"

The chibis nodded and meeped in agreement.

"And was there anything wrong?"

Now they were shaking their heads. Even without interpretation it was clear that they had looked in every hole (no wonder, when you're so tiny you can see far more details than from the "normal" point of view), but found no mistakes and lacks.

"Hmm, fuel's there, including this", the Doctor tapped on his forehead, "and there are no mistakes... Interesting. But there are still glitches we're going to fix".

His thoughts were interrupted - this time by little Adric, who gestured that he was hungry. Soon enough all chibis seemed to realize that they had completely forgotten about food while this investigation, but now stopped and recalled it.

"Okay, let's go. and cook something. But promise not to mess up!"


	6. The Doctor's Tastes

"Fine then!" the Doctor proclaimed upon having entered the TARDIS kitchen, followed closely by the little people. Surprisingly enough, they didn't tend to crowd or to bunch, they were more like making something similar to a snake, moving in fine sequence with each other. It could be even eerie if they didn't look around, trip over, giggle and do everything else which makes a person alive. "Wait a bit!"

He opened the fridge and forgot about all plans which had been boiling in his head before. Because... how are you supposed to feed all those tiny little creatures with different tastes? Making even smaller portions would be ridiculous. Something universal needed, and besides...

Ping.

The Doctor grinned. Now he had an idea better than any previous ones. But before he had to check some details.

"Listen up, all of you", he started, looking at the galore of chibis who had climbed onto the chairs and the table. "What did they", he pointed upwards, meaning anyone who had locked them in, "feed you?"

This time it was Ian who asked to be the "interpreter". As soon as he was placed on the Doctor's shoulder, others began eagerly expressing their opinions, but little Ian revealed to be as clever as his full-size counterpart - he waited until the voices of his friends reduced and only then began speaking in the Doctor's ear:

"Mel says that the food we get here is healthy, but it has no taste at all, as if we were eating plastic in its softer version. But there's no other choice for us".

"No wonder, when being locked like this..." the Doctor mused.

"The bright side it that one small cube is enough to fill us for a whole day cycle. We were waiting for the new portion when you arrived", Ian continued. "But some of us remember tastes".

"Yeah, if you recognized that this... what's it like? Any of you has a sample? I wanna try it".

Martha was the first to react: she produced a small white item, which resembled a bit of a chewing gum in size and shape, from her jacket's pocket. The Doctor shrugged, tossed it into his mouth and nearly choked on it the very next second: it REALLY was tasteless, nothing more than mere vital elements.

"Yeah, loads of proteins, a wee bit of fat just to glue it all together..." he pressed out, forcing himself to swallow the bit. The tow-topped Master didn't even bother to suppress an evil giggle. "Gospel truth, Mel. Healthy but apparently yucky!.. Well, Ian, what was that about tastes?"

"Some of us recall the tastes of different things, but we cannot recall their names, only the ingredients and the way they were cooked", Ian continued.

"Hmm, that could mean you appeared here not only with mind memory, but with sensual memory as well... Yeah, I could've guessed". The Doctor beamed at One and Susan. "And now I'm gonna give you a good meal!" He carefully lowered Ian down to his pals and did a quick twirl. "If you have lots of friends, and they all have different tastes, what you gonna cook? The answer's pretty simple: a pizza! A giant pizza with all possible tastes so that each of you can choose whatever he or she wants! But before that, yes, Mel, there needs to be something healthy and not as yucky as those protein bits. A fruit salad. Delicious and full of vitamins! And choice for everybody".

Before he could realize it, some of the chibis managed to get onto the kitchen table.

"Hey, you lot, could you free that space? I need it to cut fruits", the Doctor asked, filling a large bowl with different kinds of fruits and at the same time trying to count approximately how much of this dish was he going to make for a single time. Everybody knows that food tastes best when it's fresh. "C'mon, get off the table".

But Nine, Ten, Tentoo, Adric, Sarah Jane, Harry, Benton and Mel - they at least, because some of the ones who remained on the chairs were doubting - remained, staring at him.

"What?"

Nine performed a small pantomime: pointed at the Doctor, then gestured at his pals, imitated running and doing something with hands and shook his head, his arms crossed.

"I don't understand", the Doctor admitted. "Maybe I should try to keep a journal to learn your language? At least now".

"He says that it is not fair that you're going to do it all alone", Sarah Jane interpreted, having been transported closely to the Doctor's ear. "We want to help you".

"You've already helped me", the Doctor smiled, touched. "I couldn't have performed all the checking on my own. Listen up, you'd better do another thing. If your keepers realize that you haven't eaten your daily food portion, they may have suspicion against us. Just go and pretend that you've eaten it... Ian told me you were waiting for it when I appeared. No-no, that doesn't mean actually eating those bits! You can bring them here, and we're gonna have a feast here!"

"Wheeeeeeee!" all the little people cheered. The Doctor felt his face widening in a smile. At least now he found something which could make them glad. But there were still things to do, big and little as well.


	7. The Chibi Language

While all the little people were happily munching on the bits of fruits, sitting on the dinner table (there were all kinds of fruits, including some extraterrestrial), and the all-taste (almost literally) pizza was in the oven, the Doctor brought over a notebook to take notes. For some reason he seriously decided to write down some of their "gesture language" - just in case if someone without feelings or without understanding the language of emotions (preferably someone more sensible than Daleks) would ever want to take a look...

"Whom am I trying to cheat?" the Doctor muttered to himself. "I just want to do it, and that's all".

Some minutes later the first page of the notebook was decorated with his hand-writing:

_Name of the species: Chibi (or Little People)_

_Origin: Unknown (at least now; have personalities of real-existent people)_

_Basic "words" (person = normal-sized):_

_Hugging a person's hand: "I trust/forgive you"_

_Climbing on the person's shoulder: "I want to talk to you"_

_Lifting arms up: "Pick me up"_

_Staring: "Tell me everything"_

_Occupying the place and not leaving: "I want to help you"_

Here the pen left a curved line on the paper because the Doctor startled, alert at the squeak from the table. A splash followed, and then there was a pitter-patter of small feet against the table top. Oh gods! - the Doctor thought, bounced up and saw the scene right on time: the Victorian-styled chibi was meeping oaths from the bowl with the fruit bits, while the tiny Master with snake green eyes was rolling on the table with laughter. In a moment the food was forgotten - all the little people (except for other little Masters, two of which were sneering, and two grabbing their ribs with laughter) crowded around the bowl, trying to get their friend out. Only two of them turned to the Doctor and meeped for help - the one with a large cloud of wheat-colored curls and the one in a Union Jack tee.

"Yes, yes, Rose, River, calm down. Come away, you lot!" the Doctor ordered and carefully pulled Eight out by his coat. "Thank goodness I didn't add sugar there, otherwise you'd be even sweeter than usually..." He examined Eight head to toe. "You're clean. And as about you, little rascals, if you perform some trademark prank of yours, I'm going to put you in the darkest corner of this... place..." Two last words were pronounced slower, and the little people (including Eight who was now sitting on his palm) widened their button eyes in curiosity. "Horrible images, which you three saw and which vanished when attacked with probably the world's smallest explosive..."

Jamie, Jo and Tegan blinked at him.

"Physical actions like grabbing and else..." the Doctor mused. "Temporal time prints, not caring about... That's it! The spaceman said: everybody look down, it's all in your mind!"

Now all chibis were blinking, confused.

"Can't you see? Jamie saw giant Second me, Jo saw Third, and Tegan saw Fifth - the ones related to them! And those probably were the illusions, very very realistic illusions! When Ace tossed a can of Nitro-9 at them, there was an explosion, Jamie was distracted, and - flop! The illusion's gone!" The Doctor twirled around, glad with his guess. "Next time if you see something like this, call me or create a mess to distract the main source, got it?"

Dozens of small nods. And then there was a "ding" from the oven.

"Oh blast! Mine and dine, little ones!" the Doctor exclaimed, having put Eight onto the table next to Grace, and hurried to get the main dish.


	8. The Chibi Nature

"Now be good. No food fighting, or you are going to fight my frustration", the Doctor warned when the meeped arguing for the preferred pieces of freshly cooked pizza was over. "When the first of you finishes, let me know. I need to investigate about something else, and I need some help".

To his surprise, the first one to finish did it in some seconds - Adric just stuffed the whole piece of food into his mouth and swallowed it almost without chewing, then carelessly wiped his mouth and hands clean and meeped to attract the Doctor's attention.

"Oh gooddy... Okay, but don't complain if you get a stomachache, you small sloven", the Doctor warned him, but Adric only jumped on the place two or three times and lifted his arms up, impatient from black-haired head to feet in grass green boots. "Fine. When I'm back, the kitchen should be as if was before!"

Having plopped Adric on his shoulder, he returned to the "room with no doors".

"Here's what I'm going to ask. When you get food, where does it appear?"

"In our food boxes", Adric replied, pointing at the beds, or, more specifically, at the bed tables - each had two or three tiny boxes attached to them.

"How do you recognize which one is whose? There are no names, nothing written on them", the Doctor asked, standing on his knees to have a better look at the boxes.

"Each of us can open only one box a day. If one of us already did it, he or she won't be able to open another one", Adric explained.

"Hmm, seems very similar to DNA-based locks". The Doctor tried to get the lid off one of the boxes, but the material it was made of appeared to be unexpectedly strong: logically, the Doctor's finger strength would've been enough to turn the box in pieces, but it remained steady. "Yeah, definitely. Wish I had my sonic working... Right, the situation is that I'm stuck here. Energy sucked out of my sonic, out of the engines of the TARDIS... no-no-no-no-no, it must be blocked, it can't be just sucked out in its full measure, otherwise there would've been a supernova explosion at least... You see, there's so much energy that if it was tried to be completely pressed in one place at the same time, it could've at least exploded..."

"HIC!"

The Doctor looked askance at Adric, whose hands were over his mouth.

"And here's the approval", he continued. "You were hurried and swallowed air together with food, but it can't be pressed inside you, I mean in the areas where it doesn't belong, so it comes out either with a burp or with hiccups. Imagine what could've happened if this place had swallowed all kinds of energy out of TARDIS and had hiccups!.. And what about clothing? It becomes dirty occasionally, as well as bed clothes. Or they just replace themselves?"

"Mmhmm", Adric hummed. "The same way. Waking up - hic! - and finding clean clothes".

"Yeah... Listen, before I forget it, can you help me with one more thing? When we return to the TARDIS, give me a lock of your hair. I want to perform a DNA scan". The Doctor walked to the human-sized bookshelves and moved his finger along one of them. Nothing special. Some sci-fi novels and anthologies, several technical instructions (why would they be needed in the place like this? - the Doctor thought), history books - in all, there were "representatives" of many kinds of literature. Perhaps those who had created this place used to come here, the Doctor decided to satisfy himself, at least temporarily.

After coming back to the TARDIS and setting the DNA scan of still hiccuping Adric, the Doctor frowned at the screen. The pattern shown on it was a normal human (or, in Adric's case, Alzarian - they were similar) DNA spiral without any extra addition. Now that was strange. This DNA could as well belong to a normal-sized person...

The Doctor, afraid to lose a sudden thought, dashed back to the kitchen, so that poor Adric hardly managed to grab two handfuls of his hair in time not to fall off his shoulder. Most of the little people were still enjoying their meal, but some of them already finished, so the Doctor turned his attention to Four.

"Do you mind?" he asked, reaching out to him. Four stood up and arched his brows. "It's okay, just for a moment". Having received a permission, the Doctor picked him up and carefully pressed two fingers to Four's chest, immediately getting one more approval of his thoughts: tiny, but very alive twin hearts were beating against his fingertips. "Brilliant. Tiny little Doctors, tiny little true Timelords, tiny little true Timelords all impossibly in one place... Hey! Yana!"

The mentioned one meeped in surprise.

"Can I ask you a stupid question? How many hearts do you have?"

Yana showed his forefinger.

"I've forgotten... yes, you do..." The Doctor lowered Adric back at the table and only then noticed that something was wrong. "Where are the Masters?"

None of the small mischievous chibis was around.

"I'll repeat once more. Where. Are. The. Masters?"

The rumble from the closed fridge was better than any answer.


	9. The Chibi Mess

Five seconds after the Doctor opened the fridge once again, he wished he had not done it or hadn't left... There had to be an investigation, he thought, and that was an excuse. The truth is to be found out!.. as well as the process going on in the fridge.

The Doctor had expected anything apart from this.

The shelves of the fridge (which was naturally bigger on the inside) were covered with opened ice cream containers, while the food which had originally been put on these shelves was messily piled in the corners. Tiny plastic spoons were sticking out of each container (needless to say that a bite - or a spoonful, or more - had been taken from each flavour of ice cream, and all walls of the fridge were in colorful spots), while the five little Masters were losing no time. The "oldest" one was slowly and contently (and least carelessly - yeah, he was the only of them who had an idea of good manners) enjoying the chosen raspberry ice cream, and his face expression was as if he didn't want to do that at all - a total "poker face". The black-faced (who appeared to be much less creepy than his full-size version: the only difference between him and a "normal" little person was the dun black color of his skin, nothing more - no skeleton-like features, no slime, nothing like that) and the green-eyed Masters were fighting for the container of the walnut ice cream, not even noticing that the "younger version" of the "oldest" Master had already began swallowing spoonfuls of it. And the tow-topped one was happily demolishing the remains of mint chocolate "delight".

"Hey you five!" the Doctor yelled, having made them turn their heads, and suppressed the chuckle - the black-faced and the green-eyed Masters froze before they could stop their fighting, like on a living photo. Only the tow-topped Master resumed his feast, completely involved in the process. "Who let you in?"

The Masters meeped and pointed at him. Of course, I haven't closed the door properly... - the Doctor thought and cursed mentally.

"Fine. But that's hardly a reason to create a mess! Get away from there before I make you do so!"

Muttering something under their noses, four of five Masters dragged their feet out (the one with black-and-white hair gave the Doctor his trademark gaze "I am the Master and you will obey me!" along the way), except for the blond one. Yeah, perhaps there's a type of little people who become deaf and blind during consuming sweets, the Doctor thought. Thank goodness that such amount of sugar didn't make him hyperactive... The youngest Master reacted only when the Doctor took him by his hoodie and raised into the air (and even then he didn't wish to get separated with his spoon which had the remains of ice cream on it).

The rest of the chibis were also ready to give the quintet a bit of hard time - mainly because they had locked themselves in the fridge without even offering everyone else to share the ice cream. And the Doctor, having rebuked all the Masters, decided to make up the mess they had created.

"No-no. I will do it on my own", he noticed, having seen the little people climbing off the table (mostly with the "living ladder" method) and approaching to him - the first ones who did it were Nyssa, Rose, Leela and Zoe. "I'm sorry if I offend you, but I will do it alone. You can tide the table up, if you want to help me".

Some minutes later there was a sound of bustle from the sink. The Doctor bounced up just in time to see Ten and Tentoo under the water flow from the tap, droplets flying to all sides, and shortly after Seven and Six joined them against their will, pushed in by smirking black-faced Master.

Finally the Doctor decided that the top of the fridge would be the best place for the little Masters of mess.

* * *

Energy had been taken out of everywhere, even from my body, the Doctor thought. And, yes, that cleaning also was a tiresome matter, but it was to be done... No matter why, but he got so tired that, hardly had he come to his room and changed clothes when he already was on his bed, sleeping like a log.

The little people, despite his not the best mood before this, were now standing in the doorway to his room, watching him.

"I really think this was too much of you all", Zoe told the Masters. "Despite his being unlike us in all senses, he's not almighty and may get tired".

"I hope that's not being tired of us", Dodo noticed.

A while later, when all the little people were in their "room with no doors", one of them felt a twinge inside. There were so many of them there, and the strange big man who knew so much was in the blue box, all alone...

"Ten? What's up?" Rose was the first to notice his worry.

"Nothing. It's about that Doctor. Do you know what we should do to the Masters to make them behave better? They made him so annoyed..."

"Dunno", Nine inserted, approaching to them. "They are the Masters, and this says it all".

"But... don't you think we should support that Doctor?" Ten asked. "I really-really don't want him to wake up alone".

"You have no idea about what's it like", Nine inserted.

"Neither do you". This was said by Tentoo. "But I'm sure that this is horrible. Living, existing all alone..."

"How do you know?" Nine arched his eyebrows.

"I feel it", Ten and Tentoo replied at the same time. Nine didn't want to admit that he also felt it.

And the rest of the little people didn't want to admit - for a while - that they also did.

* * *

The Doctor was sleeping really tightly, his hair all around the pillow and mouth open, therefore he didn't even feel a small warm creature climbing onto his bed and then onto the pillow. One more, one more. Many more.

"This is it", Susan whispered when the last of more than four dozen little people got onto the bed (and not only onto it). "He's like Grandfather and all the Not Just Numbers".

"What do you mean?" Liz asked.

"I hear it. Two hearts. I'm on his chest..."

"Who asked you to get there? He's going to toss and turn, I think", One's voice sounded.

"And I don't think so. I know he won't".

Soon the only sounds disturbing the silence in the dark bedroom were soft breathing and sometimes little snores.


	10. The Sparkling Nightmare

_"You're not like us,_  
_From other world,_  
_You have the pass_  
_As good as gold,_  
_You'll never go,_  
_Will never die,_  
_Jost rushing through,_  
_Forever Doctor Who!"_

What in the name of sanity and insanity is going on again? - the Doctor thought. The funniest thing was that he did not remember how he got here. Again.

This place was like the inside of a giant diamond. Sparkling, with lots of dancing lights and reflections in each facet of this "diamond" - merging into one, falling into loads of images, like in a mirror labyrinth, and so quickly that the Doctor got dizzy for a moment. And voices were echoing through this "jewel", now repeating according to some sharp and quick rhythm, like the work of an enermous factory engine.

_"Doctor-Doctor-Doctor Who? Who? Doctor-Doctor-Doctor! Doctor-Doctor-Doctor Who-Who-Who-Who-Who?"_

Never heard so many voices repeating this, the Doctor said to himself.

_"Doctor-Doctor-Doctor Who? Who? Doctor-Doctor-Doctor! Doctor-Doctor-Doctor Who-Who-Who-Who-Who-Who-Who?"_

He jumped up, and his eyes got crossed: he realized that the "diamond" was slowly turning around, making the reflections - very particular reflections - change even insanerer. No matter if this word existed or not...

_"You're like ice_  
_And flame and everything exciting,_  
_No one dies_  
_When you decide to stop the fighting._  
_That's because you are the Doctor._  
_Look at us,_  
_We are the ones who had been waiting_  
_For the task_  
_To break the boredom, and you will come late,_  
_Because you are the Doctor"._

The reflections started to jump out of the "diamond's" sides to the Doctor, for a moment becoming living beings and then vanishing in the hurricane of reflections again. Little people dancing, bouncing, making faces at him - from teasing to enraged, but no, absolutely no smiles. The music's tempo became rougher and quicker.

_"From Eleventh to the First - _  
_Victories are gonna burst,_  
_Turn to what they should be,_  
_Just the moments!_  
_Why did you_  
_Come where not invited?_  
_Wanted truth?_  
_So we will tell everything!"_

The Doctor ran to the closest facet (the funniest thing was that the floor stayed still, while the walls and top of the "diamond" were in motion) and slammed his fists against it, but got no result except the reflections of little people sprinting away from him.

_"Running through the Space,_  
_Bouncing through the Time,_  
_Did you think it all will end so fine?_  
_No one waited for_  
_Interrupter - you,_  
_You delayed the coming of the truth!"_

"I wanted as better!" the Doctor yelped, not hearing his voice in this cacophony of sounds and voices.

_"You're not like us,_  
_From other world,_  
_You have the pass_  
_As good as gold,_  
_You'll never go,_  
_Will never die,_  
_Jost rushing through,_  
_Forever Doctor Who!"_

"Please!" For some reason the Doctor felt fear creeping in him. At first it was a small, but evil icicle inside, which then started growing. Music and voices only increased the effect.

_"Doctor-Doctor-Doctor Who? Who? Doctor-Doctor-Doctor! Doctor-Doctor-Doctor Who-Who-Who-Who-Who?"_

"Listen to me!" the Doctor yelled, his breath changing to sharp and shallow. "Listen to me!"

_"Doctor-Doctor-Doctor Who? Who? Doctor-Doctor-Doctor! Doctor-Doctor-Doctor Who-Who-Who-Who-Who-Who-Who?"_

"PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!" the Doctor screamed, falling onto his knees.

* * *

"Meep?"

The Doctor found himself on the floor, entangled in his blanket like an insect in web and surrounded with worried little people on all sides. First thing he did was touching the floor under him to make sure that he hadn't squashed anybody, having fallen from the bed. Luckily everyone was safe.

Closest to him, right in front of his face, were Susan, Rose, Amy and Jamie, while the rest were a bit farther, as if afraid that he was going to attack them.

"It was nothing but a dream. It was just a dream. An absurd, stupid and insane nightmare..." the Doctor muttered, most carefully sitting up and getting out of the blanket "gift-wrapping". "Maybe they already began the process of getting into my head..." Having unexpectedly felt weak, he plopped back on the floor, face down. "Don't want this. Don't want this... listen to me..."

"Meep?" Sarah Jane was the next who joined the "brave team".

"No, I'm not going to load you with my problems..." the Doctor muttered, not looking up. "Go back to sleep".

The next sensation was the feeling of a tiny warm hand touching his sweaty temple. And suddenly the Doctor realized that the drops running down his face were not only sweat. What a shame.

Susan - and who else that was who dared to touch him? - made a small caressing move with her hand and let out a "Meep?" with the clearest intonation of "Please?" The Doctor finally looked up at the crowd of little people around him, and the "brave team" didn't lose time - they five approached to him and began rubbing the sweat and tears off his face, all the while softly meeping. Rose finished this process with hugging his face and giving him a teeny tiny kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you all", the Doctor smiled sadly. "Now I know that it was the most absurd dream ever".

Not too much time passed before he and all the chibis were comfortably in the bed again.


	11. The Sparkling Walls

**A/N: And here goes the continuation! Some more discoveries are about to come... And I'd like to thank The Bad Wolf Girl and Artdirector123 for supporting this story! I hope I won't disappoint you!  
**

* * *

"Hmmm..." the Doctor hummed and woke up - not with a start, like it used to happen to his Sixth self, but slowly, at first being in this sweet state when you hear and understand everything taking place around, but you can't move or react, and your eyes remain tightly closed... wait a minute.

Of course, the body - either of human or a Timelord - tends to becoming heavier and hotter after sleep, but not till this measure. The Doctor felt as if it wasn't only his usual thin blanket covering him. There was one more blanket, living and breathing, and giving out tiny snores there and here.

He opened his eyes and looked downwards as far as he could.

Oh dear.

His chest was literally enveloped by the little people (this was similar to the "perfect" result of Tetris game or to a jigsaw puzzle - every square inch of it was occupied), and guess whose dark-haired head was resting right next to his neck. But that was only the beginning. The Doctor's arms weren't free either - some of the chibis (Jamie and Sarah Jane among them) were cuddling with them in their sleep. Okay then, the Doctor thought and began pulling his right arm free slowly and steadily not to wake any of them up. No way. Some of them just muttered something and let him collect himself, but someone - like Jamie - had a surprisingly strong grip. Wonder why they did it?.. - the Doctor thought. The memory of this night's nightmare was already foggy, as it usually happens to "night urgent waking"... Freeing the left arm was more successful, because the chibis on the left didn't have such strong feeling of privacy... or they did, it just wasn't about the Doctor.

After gaining his left arm in full measure, the Doctor gently unbent tiny fingers clutching the folds of his blue pajamas and got both arms back.

"Right, and how am I going to get out of bed without waking or squashing anybody?.." he murmured and froze for a moment upon realizing that something was fussing on the top of his head. No way. Some of the little people were sleeping, having half-buried themselves in his hair that had become all messy, even messier than usually.

Fine then.

The Doctor began transporting the sleeping "living dolls" from his chest onto his bed-table, mentally apologizing and promising to return them to the warmth and comfort as soon as possible. After the last one (judging by the feelings - some of them had been under the blanket completely) was put onto the wooden surface, the Doctor slightly pushed the ones who were on his pillow to the sides and sat up to see the rest of the situation. Thank goodness, none of them had been on his legs and everything else, just around them.

Now I know what's it like to be a gymnast, the Doctor thought, arching to get out of bed. As soon as this task was accomplished, he returned the tiny sleepers from the bed-table onto the sheets and blanket, then finally had a proper look at them.

Nine, Ten, Tentoo and Rose were all bunched up on his pillow, while the Sixth Master was next to it, his hand raised in a way of a world's conqueror gesture. Most of the rest also formed groups, like Two, Victoria and Zoe (and now Jamie) - just like "protecting daddy" and his charges; Five, Tegan and Nyssa (the first was in the middle, his arms around the girls' shoulders); and what to say about couples! Amy and Rory, Ian and Barbara, Eight and Grace, Ben and Polly... However, some chibis preferred privacy, like Turlough wrapped in a hanky (he kept his trademark haughty expression even in his sleep), Adric curled up in a ball next to the pillow, all the Masters who had chosen the corners (no way, they were going to deny their sleep-over here), and... The Doctor couldn't help smiling when he realized that the particular gang of chibis - that included Four, Sarah Jane, Harry, Leela, both Romanas, Adric, Nyssa and Tegan - was literally connected. They all held on Four's long scarf in any possible way.

"Things are cuter when they're smaller", the Doctor thought and absent-mindedly walked to the bathroom. After having got properly tidied up and dressed, he was attracted by anxious noise from his bedroom.

A small group of little people was already awake, and they were excitedly discussing something, but they got silent as soon as the Doctor spotted it.

"Morning everyone. You can go on, you remember that for me you make little meeps when you speak unless you're speaking in my ears, so relax", he assured them.

Amy, who was in this group as well, stood up and lifted her arms up. After being placed on the Doctor's shoulder, she spoke into his ear:

"River went to our room and..."

"What?"

"Go and see. This had never happened before".

The Doctor obeyed - and what did he see? The walls of the outside room were glittering and translucent now, but nothing could be seen on the outside. He even doubted that outside existed here - there had been cases...

No-no-no. The nightmare can't be coming true. All the chibis are here and willing - even over-willing - to stay with him...

"Let's talk about it when everyone's up", he assumed.


	12. The Sparkling Eyes

Sparkles. Fireworks, stars, beams... That was weird. At first this nightmare (despite its being beautiful in some way - who would mind to get a diamond, at least ten times larger than you? - but being trapped inside was the different thing), then these glimmering walls... Coincidence? There are no coincidences, there are consequences...

"Meep!"

"Huh?" The Doctor shook from head to toe and looked down at the table, where all gang was happily munching on all kinds of corn flakes (and balls, and rings, and any other shapes) of different tastes. He must've been deep in his thoughts - so deep that this crunching and crackling hadn't been bothering him at all.

"Mee-eep", Donna repeated, copying her full-size counterpart's trademark expression "you-are-a-big-cosmic-bonehead", and nodded at his bowl, the food in which wasn't even touched. Even without "ear translation" it was clear that this meant "eat!".

The Doctor took a spoonful of chocolate cornballs, but this was the same with chewing a carpet. His thoughts were still buzzing within his skull's walls. Nightmare - walls, nightmare - walls. There's something very very wrong here. What a contrast! A gang of little people (yes, every normal human being would go "aww" at their sight) and this... coinsequence. An unlucky combo, the Doctor thought.

This time he was sitting until there was a squeak of surprise and shock - and returned to reality only to see almost a half of the little people sitting in a huge puddle of milk, while tiny Masters weren't even attempting to hide their smug faces, and Yana's expression was like of the prisoner sentenced to life-long imprisonment. At first ice cream, now this...

With no delay the pandemonium began: the ones who stayed dry, led by Three, started throwing the cornballs at all the Masters faster than machine guns, while the "victims" hurried to the "back fortress", leaving no chances for the table cover to stay dry.

"No, no, no, no, no!" the Doctor shouted, jumping up, and accidentally finished the fight by toppling his bowl of flakes right over everybody's heads. The little people - even the Masters - froze, their eyes of all colors watching him rather warily, as if expecting him to turn into a dragon at least. A total freeze frame.

"What?.. No, I'm not going to punish you. I just wanna ask why you did it", he stated calmly, but firmly. "Can't you live without creating a mess?"

The tow-topped Master replied with a defiant meep and turned his nose up, arms crossed. Not thinking about the next part, the Doctor almost tossed all the chibis covered in white drops and crumbs into the sink and was pouring water over them until they were clean, and all the Masters - until they reluctantly agreed to play nice. Drying wasn't a problem either: the old-fashioned huge hand-drier came in handy as well.

After the table was tidy again, the little people resumed their breakfast as if nothing had happened. They were glad to have something new.

"Eep?"

This time a tiny warm palm curling around his forefinger was the reason to leave the annoying thoughts and the annoying matter that the Doctor still hadn't figured anything out properly.

"It's all right, Susan", the Doctor muttered. One - and who else would be around if Susan was here? - shook his head, frowned. "All right, I've got not based suspicions".

Rose and Tentoo, holding hands, approached to him, soon followed by Nine (who immediately grabbed Rose's other hand until Ten could do it) and Ten, their eyes wide.

"Oh... right". Even when one little creature was giving you Puss-in-Boots eyes, it was almost impossible to resist, but when more... Ooh, that would be a sight if all of them suddenly decided to do it, the Doctor thought. And anyway none of them should be kept away. "I had a nightmare".

All chibis, as if ordered, stopped chewing and turned their heads to him - some expecting horror stories, some grinning in an evil way, some knitting their eyebrows. But all, absolutely all their eyes were glittering with curiosity, even the eyes of those who were trying to hide it.

"Yes, I did. I was inside a giant diamond, and you were there too", the Doctor admitted. "You were jumping around, not letting me get you. And none of you was smiling. You were avoiding me... Tell me: you trust me?"

Unsure nods and squeaks of agreement followed.

"Thank you... And the walls in your room out there were sparkling just like the walls of the diamond in my nightmare. This is what disturbs me. Something's connected... And, yes, there also was a song".

The reaction - wondering looks and meeps - made it clear that the chibis had never heard anything about songs. Oh yes. Total locked space! The Doctor bounced up:

"Wanna know what real songs are? C'mon!.. And don't even think they will be connected with River in any way", he added, his cheerful mood returning.


End file.
